Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, and Kelly (2007) defined "grit" as one's passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. They proposed that it consists of 2 components: consistency of interests and perseverance of effort. In a high school and college student sample, we used a multidimensional item response theory approach to examine (a)…

Analysis showed that a word problem is difficult to solve if: it is of a different type from the problem that preceded it; its solution requires a large number of different operations; its surface structure is complex; it has a large number of words; or it requires a conversion of units. (Authors)

Observations were conducted in desegregated elementary school classes to determine the relationship between classroom conditions and pupils' interracial behaviors. Diffuse positive intergroup contacts were more likely to occur when teachers emphasized interpersonal concerns. Purposeful intergroup contacts were facilitated by teacher patience and…